Pompano Ex-foreman Arrested

POMPANO BEACH -- An ex-foreman in the city`s Public Works Department was arrested on Monday on one charge of official misconduct and two charges of petty theft.

Keith M. Kyle, 33, of Pompano Beach, turned himself in to police to face the charges, which involve the use of city trucks, gravel and overtime to work on a private driveway, Assistant State Attorney Keith Schafer said.

If convicted, Kyle could face up to five years in prison on the misconduct charge, which is a felony, and 60 days for each of the theft charges, which are misdemeanors, Schafer said.

On March 18 and 19, Kyle and Ralph Johnson, also a Public Works Department employee, used two city vehicles -- a dump truck and a front-end loader -- to place and spread more than 10 cubic yards of gravel, worth $95, at a private home in the 700 block of Northeast Fourth Avenue, an affidavit by Officer David Fowler said.

During the time they were working on the private home, the two workers submitted city time sheets for 90 minutes of overtime, the affidavit said. Kyle confessed to police on March 29, the affidavit said.

The work was done as a favor to the resident, Fowler`s affidavit said.

The State Attorney`s Office has photographs of the work being done, Schafer said. The incident was reported by a Fort Lauderdale city worker who called City Commissioner S. Randy Kester Jr. and then took the pictures, Kester said.

Kyle was released on $1,050 bail, Schafer said.

Kyle, a city employee for 9 1/2 years, resigned on April 5. Johnson, who is also under investigation, was suspended from his job for 30 days last month.

In June 1985, Kyle was suspended for five days for repairing a water leak on private property for $40 during work hours, city personnel records show.